


Silent Night

by miyabimai (orphan_account)



Series: VIXX! Vampire AU [4]
Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-25 17:21:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3818614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/miyabimai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even the vampire hunters are blind in the dark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silent Night

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for the comments you all have been giving me ;-; I always appreciate the comments weeps, I hope you enjoy this one. As per usual, a continuation from before

The first thing Sanghyuk is acutely aware of is that there is no longer an arm around his waist, and there definitely isn't a duvet around him anymore, and the chilly air nips at his skin. He groans, sliding closer to the side of the bed that is against the wall as he wakes up. Sanghyuk rolls over, coming to face a wrapped bundle of blankets. Right.

Sanghyuk wrenches himself upright, hand rubbing at his eyes. Sanghyuk blinks a couple times before everything focusing away from blurry smudges to discernable objects. His eyes alight back onto Taekwoon's sleeping form, curious. He slides closer, biting onto the tip of his tongue as he senses how still the Taekwoon burrito is. Sanghyuk lays a hand carefully on what he hopes is Taekwoon's shoulder, and shakes him gently.

Sanghyuk is not even sure if vampires can wake up in the day, but then there's a whine, and Sanghyuk rips his hand away. He sucks on his bottom lip, hovering. "Taekwoon?" he whispers.

There's another sound, almost like a mewl, and Sanghyuk has to pinch himself to stop the smile that comes to his face. "Why are you wrapped up like that, are you cold?"

"There are wisps of sunlight," comes the sleepy reply, muffled by the thick duvet, making Taekwoon's voice softer than it already is. "It stings."

Sanghyuk's eyes widen, glancing at his shut blinds. The sunlight sneaks through the gaps in the panels. He messes up his hair as he goes to his cupboards, frowning. He tugs the thickest duvet out from the all the sheets he has, the one for winter, kicking back the rest of the sheets that collapses at his feet. He uses his shoulder to shut the cupboard door, the duvet already threatening to slip out of his arms. He lugs it over to the bed, standing on the mattress to pull one end of the duvet behind the rod of the blinds, covering the window opening completely with the duvet. When Sanghyuk turns, the apartment is plunged into darkness.

"How about now," Sanghyuk squats down, nudging Taekwoon again. The corner of the blanket lifts slowly. Taekwoon's eyes blink slowly at him. His eyes are half-closed, but he shifts up and the duvet unfurls around him. He stares vacantly at Sanghyuk's makeshift curtain.

"Mhm," Taekwoon says, voice drowsy and he flops back down, boneless, and Sanghyuk smiles when he notices the disarrayed hair. Sanghyuk adjusts himself to sit cross-legged, watching as Taekwoon shifts, getting comfortable. He meets his eyes, and before he can say anything Taekwoon has a hold on his wrist. Sanghyuk obliges, letting himself be tugged down. Tugged, being an overstatement because Taekwoon's strength is nothing in the day. "Can you see?" Taekwoon asks, when he's wrapped around Sanghyuk again, the words blending together from his sleepiness. Taekwoon's hold is closer, less careful than it was last night, and the nuzzling more insistent.

"I'm decent in the dark," Sanghyuk says, just as Taekwoon starts to warm up. "Hey, sleep, don't worry about me." He strokes absently at the slim wrist that rests in front of him, from Taekwoon's arm curled over his waist.

"But.. you're... cold."

Sanghyuk sighs exasperatedly. "I'll move later, I need to eat and stuff, and I'll fidget and keep you awake."

Taekwoon stays silent, but his temperature continues hiking up rebelliously. Sanghyuk wrinkles his nose, moving out of Taekwoon's hold easily. "Okay, no more for you, I'll go do my things, and you sleep." He glares at Taekwoon who makes a sleepy sound of protest, eyes already closed, pulling the duvet over Taekwoon. "Sleep."

Taekwoon's like a child when it is day, curling up on himself as a soft sigh escapes him. Sanghyuk watches him from the kitchen as he munches on bread as silently as possible, drinkbox of soymilk in front of him. Sanghyuk showers, the scent of mint mixing with the steam. When he gets out, putting on his pants, he glances at the mirror, and he pauses, shirt in his hand. He walks closer, as if the purplish-red mark would disappear from his neck. He curses softly, wearing the shirt. The collar does nothing to cover up the mark, and Sanghyuk touches it lightly, fingertips grazing the dark colour. He thinks of Taekwoon outside, as he brushes his teeth, the plastic dragging along the edges of his lips. He stares at them, leaning down to spit and rinse before he wipes his mouth dry. Nothing is different. Not really.

When he walks out, Taekwoon is a statue, having fully fallen asleep. There's a dull thud, and Sanghyuk spins, eyes on his main door. The bolt jolts again, and Sanghyuk dashes over to the door, pressing his back against it to stop it from slamming against the frame again as it tries to open. His eyes stay on Taekwoon, watching for any sign that he was stirring. There isn't any, and Sanghyuk sighs in relief.

"Sanghyuk?"

Sanghyuk mentally groans, wincing. "I'm here, hyung." He calls out quietly.

"Why is your door bolted?" Hongbin asks, confusion clear in his tone.

"I just wanted some..." Sanghyuk holds his words as Taekwoon suddenly turns over, but his eyes are still shut, and Sanghyuk waits for the visible stillness to settle in. "Some alone time? I'm still really tired from the other night."

"Oh," Hongbin laughs, and Sanghyuk sags against the door. "Well, good thing I didn't bring Jaehwan with."

Sanghyuk lets out a noise of amusement, even as his blood runs cold at the idea of Jaehwan sensing Taekwoon inside.

"I worry about you somtimes, Sanghyuk," Hongbin says, and Sanghyuk snaps back into reality.

"What for?"

"You get so tired and worn down after hunts," Hongbin sighs. "More than most of us. I know there's things going on, but-"

"You don't have to worry, hyung," Sanghyuk says, stopping Hongbin there. "Having you as a partner helps a lot."

"Sweet talker," Hongbin says, and Sanghyuk can feel Hongbin lean his weight on the other side of the door. "Hakyeon has told me stuff, not most of it, but enough so that I worry about you. It's never going to be something I understand, but I can understand losing my only family."

"Yeah?" Sanghyuk says, throat tightening.

"Yeah," Hongbin replies, his chuckle muffled through the wood.

Sanghyuk stares at Taekwoon, feeling the weight of Hongbin through the door. Sanghyuk spins around, drawing the bolt and he slips out through the tiniest gap he can fit through before slamming the door shut behind him, praying that minimal sunlight had flashed in. He sees Hongbin's surprised face, having been pushed off the door and Sanghyuk smiles weakly. "You can't tell me that sort of thing like this."

Hongbin grins, and when Sanghyuk notices the shadow over his face he glances up, suddenly noticing, for the first time, that his stairwell and door had always been covered by a wide canopy. He exhales, glad that not much sunlight would have gone in while he tried to get out.

There's a hold on his arm, and Sanghyuk protests when Hongbin tries to enter the place. "The place is messy, I'm just... reorganising things, like therapy shit," Sanghyuk lies through his teeth. Yoongi flashes to mind. "How about we get coffee? Or food. I heard Kyungsoo's been experimenting nowadays."

Hongbin looks at him suspiciously, but relents when Sanghyuk drags him down the stairwell.

"Hey," Kyungsoo greets, when they walk in. "What's up kids."

Yoongi lifts his head from the table, body still slumped over. He waves at them with a lazy hand, before putting his head back down.

"What happened?" Sanghyuk asks as Hongbin sits onto the bar stool. Kyungsoo slides the book he was looking at closer to him.

"Nothing," Yoongi groans, and papers lift in the air, held by his other hand. "Which is the problem."

"He's figuring out a spell," Kyungsoo says, smirk on his face. "One that I mastered when I was fifteen."

"Fuck you," Yoongi snaps into the table. "It's not my fault my family's caste casts magic into things and not thin air." He sits up, tossing the papers onto where his forehead was resting. "I'd like to see you make a windchime with an effect radius of a hundred feet."

Kyungsoo scowls, and Sanghyuk snorts, peering over Hongbin's shoulder at the text.

"Well Kyungsoo's studying charms so all's fair," Hongbin says, looking up. "Also, I heard magical food is available. What is it, floating bread?"

"You people talking about magic like it's a godly," he waves his hand around, sparks emitting from his fingertips threateningly. "Unimaginable thing," Kyungsoo ends, slapping the table. Sanghyuk flinches, eyes snapping shut at the blinding white light that flashes, but not before he catches sight of the gorgeous image in the wood, a howling wolf.

He thinks he hears a wolf howling when his eyes open, watching the image continue fading in and out.

"But you see this," Kyungsoo stabs the wolf and it flares brighter. "And you hear that," he says pointing at the shelf across the room.

Sanghyuk realises he's not actually imagining things, because there's a wolf figurine actually howling, head thrown back despite the rest of the body being unmoving.

Hongbin and Sanghyuk stare at the persistent figurine, until Yoongi snarls at it.

It continues to howl, and Yoongi sighs frustratedly. "Shut up!" He yells, throwing a pen at the same wall, and the thing jolts, shutting up. "Should put a muzzle on that one," he says loudly, as if he intends for the figurine to be intimidated. A low whine sounds from it, and Yoongi scoffs.

"Oka-ay," Hongbin says, stealing the word right out of Sanghyuk's head.

"Lovely," Sanghyuk manages.

"Anyway," Kyungsoo says, flicking hair out of his face. "There is food, but Sanghyuk looks like he wants to just abandon you here, Hongbin."

"Hey!" Sanghyuk protests, and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes.

"I can feel it, Yoongi can feel it, only Hongbin can't because he doesn't have anything on you."

Sanghyuk glances at his tattoos, grinning at Kyungsoo guiltily.

"I kind of bothered him during some quiet time," Hongbin admits.

"No problem," Sanghyuk says, shrugging.

"What's with that bruise?" Yoongi asks, eagle-eyed and Sanghyuk squeaks, slapping a hand over the bruise.

"Er, book dropped on me?" Sanghyuk suggests, looking at Hongbin. "I'm sorting out my place."

"Right," Yoongi says, and Sanghyuk pushes his fringe back, fingers itching.

"You can go," Hongbin says good-naturedly.

Sanghyuk stares at him, chewing on his bottom lip. Hongbin kicks a leg out at him, shooing.

Sanghyuk takes a step back, still not moving.

"Look," Hongbin says, standing to poke him in the cheek. "I came because I worried about you, not for you to worry about me, so go, go do your lame organisational therapy, I want to see you smiling when I meet you for work tomorrow."

"Well..." Sanghyuk says.

"Come on," Yoongi says, slipping out of his seat and grabbing Sanghyuk by the shoulder. "I'll bring you back home, kid."

"Why does everyone call me kid," Sanghyuk grumbles as he lets himself be tugged away.

"Because everyone still worries about you," Yoongi says as they exit and start down the path. "And I'm not sure what you're doing, Sanghyuk, but be careful."

"I'm sorry?" Sanghyuk says, heart skipping a beat at Yoongi's tone.

"You've shut down all your channels," Yoongi says, glancing at him. "And your bracelet, where is it?" Sanghyuk blinks, and then realises.

"Oh."

"It's no good to let the vampiric magic build up," Yoongi shakes his head, sucking a breath in. "It's still magic, but it's a more toxic form, unique. Hunters absorb it to give them power, and to power all these tattoos and charms we can give you, but-"

"Only you guys are equipped to kill them," Sanghyuk says dryly. "Hakyeon hyung didn't tell me the magic was toxic though."

"Big surprise," Yoongi mutters under his breath. Sanghyuk shuts his mouth when Yoongi waves it off. "Either way, if the multiple tattoos are bothering you, you can just ask to remove one of them, you know that right?" They stop in front of Sanghyuk's stairwell, and when Yoongi glances up at his apartment, a mild flash of panic hits Sanghyuk.

But then he looks back at Sanghyuk, who nods obediently.

"Plus mages are always better than socerers," Yoongi quips, smirking. "Just don't tell Kyungsoo that or he'd curse me in my sleep."

"They are different?" Sanghyuk says, sliding away from his apartment as if to send Yoongi off.

"I'm a mage, Kyungsoo's a socerer. The difference is our specialisation. Socerers influence the wavelengths of magic, and mages imbue magic," Yoongi says, spurred on by Sanghyuk's interest. "Thus me giving you charms and Kyungsoo sending sparks in the air, or well, into your blood. We can dabble in a bit of the other's of course."

Sanghyuk nods, it interests him as a person who likes reading or learning about trivia and general knowledge, truly, as he waves goodbye to Yoongi, but he's currently more interested in something else right now.

He jogs up the stairs, again squeezing through the smallest gap he can manage to enter the apartment. He shuts the door, bolting it quietly. He turns to see Taekwoon still asleep, and he slips over to peer at him. His fringe is scattered over his forehead. Sanghyuk's fingers hover over the long strands, unsure. He withdraws, exhaling.

He grabs his laptop, crawling onto the half of the bed that Taekwoon isn't occupying. He props himself up against a pillow, dimming the screen's brightness. Over the edge of his laptop screen, Sanghyuk catches sight of his daggers lying on his desk, next to his bag. His gaze flits to Taekwoon, who was sleeping peacefully. Sanghyuk closes his eyes, head tipping back as he tries to conjure the image of the 'door' that Hakyeon always spoke about. He flings it open, and his channels burst alive, the magic flooding his blood. The tattoos spark alive as well, warning, burning, reacting to Taekwoon.

Everything in this room could leave Taekwoon dripping blood. But when Sanghyuk opens his eyes, Taekwoon is still there.

He shuts the door, and it is silence again. Sanghyuk returns to his laptop, typing the first word he can think of.

~

The warmth of the duvet is comforting, as Sanghyuk shifts on the bed. Sanghyuk's eyes open, and the whole world is sideways. He lurches up, glancing through the dark as his eyes adjust. There's movement in the corner, and then he sees Taekwoon looking over the back of the sofa at him.

Sanghyuk stares back, as he gets out of the bed, loose-limbed. He pads over to sit next to Taekwoon, careful not to knock over his laptop that was in Taekwoon's lap, pulling his legs up. "Hi."

Taekwoon looks at him, before leaning over to press a kiss on his cheek. Sanghyuk flushes, ducking his head. "Mm." He hums, finally replying as he turns back to the laptop screen.

"What are you reading?"

"Whatever you were reading until you fell asleep," Taekwoon replies. Taekwoon suddenly disappears and the kitchen lights flicker on just as he returns back to Sanghyuk's side. The illumination is faint but enough for Sanghyuk can see Taekwoon's features, and the dark outline of his coffee table and bookshelf. "You should not strain your eyes for me," he says, smiling when he sees Sanghyuk's confusion. "It would not do for you to wear those... circle... eye glasses things."

"Glasses?" Sanghyuk suggests.

"I saw them at merchant stalls in tall buildings," Taekwoon frowns. "Posters tell me that they are used for bad eyesight."

"Malls," Sanghyuk says, eyebrows rising in his amusement. "And yes, I think you got the gist of it. Would you like me any less if I had to wear those awful things?" Sanghyuk jokes, but Taekwoon's eyes widen.

"No," Taekwoon says, reply instantaneous. He looks down. "But, I think, you would like yourself less."

"Oh," Sanghyuk says, "Well, not really. I guess it would be troublesome though." He tips his head onto Taekwoon's shoulder, murmuring thanks when Taekwoon shifts closer, his elbow resting on Sanghyuk's lap as he uses the trackpad. Sanghyuk slides an arm around Taekwoon's forearm, loosely hugging it. He can feel Taekwoon look down at him, but he shuts his eyes, comfortable.

Sanghyuk presses his fingers lightly against his skin, feeling how his muscles relaxes under his touch. It gives under the pressure, smooth, unnaturally silky and cool. Taekwoon isn't marble-hard, or stiff, contradicting with how still he can hold himself.

"Humans have an odd intepretation of trust," Taekwoon says, and Sanghyuk opens his eyes, looking at the articles he had left open. "They say to prove it by action, but we can smell it, the energy that you give off."

"Oh," Sanghyuk says. He looks up at Taekwoon, who's still watching him. "Why are you saying this all of a sudden?"

"Because it makes sense, what these texts say," Taekwoon says simply. "You began to trust me, after that night. Not before. I don't think you would have so easily let me in before that."

Sanghyuk chews on his lip. "I guess."

"Mhm," Taekwoon murmurs, before he shuts the laptop close. Sanghyuk lets go of him so that he can place the laptop onto the desk, watching Taekwoon's fluid gait.

Sanghyuk fidgets when Taekwoon returns. "Want to play a game?"

Taekwoon nods, crossing his legs.

"So, I get to ask you a question, you answer, and then you get to ask me a question. If we can't answer the question then we lose." Sanghyuk explains.

Taekwoon frowns just slightly. "That's not hard at all."

"It's just so we get to know more about each other," Sanghyuk explains, and Taekwoon nods, looking slightly disappointed.

"I'll start," Sanghyuk offers. "How old are you?"

Taekwoon smiles, running a hand through his hair. "I was born 1813," he says slowly. "I don't remember my birthday anymore."

"Oh! That explains...," Sanghyuk says, considering how Taekwoon was unaware of what malls were. "That's... a while ago," he murmurs, earning a small huff from Taekwoon.

"I read the books you have now," Taekwoon says. "To pick up the modern language. But whatever you have working in the day is beyond me." Sanghyuk nods. "You?"

"Me?" Sanghyuk says. "Oh, 1995, on July 5th."

"Young," Taekwoon replies, and Sanghyuk protests, seeing the teasing curve of Taekwoon's smile.

"Favourite food?"

"I think I used to like... dumplings," Taekwoon says, tilting his head slightly. "You?"

"Any type of _jeon_ ," Sanghyuk says, amused. He purses his lips as he thinks. "Favourite colour."

"Blue," Taekwoon says easily. "You?"

"Black," Sanghyuk knocks Taekwoon's knee with his lightly. "Stop copying my questions!"

"You never said it wasn't allowed," Taekwoon replies. Sanghyuk glares, and he relents. "Okay... um."

Sanghyuk waits patiently, drumming his fingers on the edge of the sofa cushion.

"Can I have a kiss?"

Sanghyuk's fingers miss their mark, slipping off the edge and he looks at Taekwoon, who picks at a thread in the sleeve of his sweater fixatedly, not meeting his eyes. His gaze flickers up once, before snapping straight back to his sleeve, and Sanghyuk's throat runs dry.

"How are you so straightforward but so..." Sanghyuk tugs at his elbow, getting his full attention. "Shy."

"That's not an answer," Taekwoon mumbles.

"When the game is over," Sanghyuk replies, and Taekwoon looks down again, but not before Sanghyuk sees the small smile on his face. "Why are you interested in me?"

"You give me a good feeling," Taekwoon says, eyes closing as he tips his head back to rest on the back of the sofa. "I watched you a few times, when that smiley friend of yours didn't sit on roofs nearby. I was curious."

"Hongbin?" Sanghyuk asks, as his insides flutters, and honestly, Taekwoon has to stop doing that to him. "Oh."

"I don't have anymore questions," Taekwoon says. He pauses, "For now."

"Well, then it is the end of the game for now," Sanghyuk says, nibbling on his bottom lip. Taekwoon hums in agreement, eyes still shut, and Sanghyuk shifts. Taekwoon's eyes open the moment he feels Sanghyuk brush against him, and when Sanghyuk settles on his lap, his eyes are widened just barely, as he scans Sanghyuk's face. "You wanted something right?"

"Mhm," Taekwoon agrees, hand rising to brush Sanghyuk's sleep-mussed hair out of his eyes. The same hand runs its fingertips down Sanghyuk's jawline, thumb rubbing softly outwards under Sanghyuk's eyes, and a shiver runs through Sanghyuk as he leans closer to Taekwoon. "You don't have to, if you don't want to."

"What if I want to," Sanghyuk asks.

"I'll want what you want," Taekwoon says. Sanghyuk is the one who initiates the kiss this time, pressing closer when Taekwoon's arms warm as they wrap around his waist, fingers stroking slow and perpendicular to his hipbone through his clothes. Taekwoon's hair is silk, as soft as it looked when Taekwoon was sleeping, and Taekwoon almost purrs when Sanghyun runs his fingertips through the strands. Taekwoon presses one peck to his lips as they separate, moving lower to brush his lips against Sanghyuk's neck, sliding lower to his cheekbone and back up as he inhales, before there's a warm, moist tongue lapping at Sanghyuk's skin.

Sanghyuk continues running his fingers through Taekwoon's hair, the kitten licks and soft kisses that Taekwoon lays on his skin sending a fuzzy, warm buzz into his system. It occurs to him that he should be panicked, a vampire so close to his neck, but Taekwoon has managed to win over his trust completely in such a short span of time. Sanghyuk thinks he might as well go to hell. Taekwoon's lips are then finding his, inviting, asking, and when Sanghyuk feels blunt teeth tugging gently on his bottom lip he inhales sharply just as Taekwoon lets go.

"Are you hungry?" Taekwoon murmurs against his lips, resting his forehead against Sanghyuk's. "Your blood smells... undernourished."

"A litt-" Sanghyuk accepts one kiss. "-le bit," Sanghyuk admits, talking between kisses. "I'm-" he gets another, this time on the tip of his nose, "um, too lazy to cook, so-" he stops, a laugh escaping him when Taekwoon tries to kiss him again, leaning back. "Stop, I can barely concentrate on what I want to say!"

Taekwoon leans back obediently and Sanghyuk relaxes, fingers playing with Taekwoon's collar.

"So, there aren't any late night shops open at this time but," Sanghyuk shifts a little when Taekwoon's head dips down, practically inhaling Sanghyuk. Taekwoon's hand wraps gently around the back of his neck to hold him in place. "I, ah, know a, maybe a convenience... store? No, wait I mean," he squirms, trying to pull back. There's kisses again, this time on his collar bone, and his jaw. "Taekwoon."

Taekwoon hums, sounding all too pleased with himself.

"You're like on drugs or something," Sanghyuk laughs breathlessly as Taekwoon pulls away. "With-" he stops himself, meeting Taekwoon's eyes.

"Your scent," Taekwoon fills in the blank, understanding Sanghyuk's unsurety. "Your blood is of no interest to me," Taekwoon's eyebrows furrow. "Unless it involves another vampire hurting you."

"That won't be happening anytime soon, no," Sanghyuk agrees.

"You cannot imagine how much this seems like a dream," Taekwoon says, the tips of his fingers brushing the heated skin of Sanghyuk's cheeks. "Since the time I first saw you to the time you tried to kill me."

"You make it sound awful," Sanghyuk complains, poking at the upward curve of Taekwoon's lips. "And here I thought you seemed a romanticist."

"So what would you like to eat," Taekwoon asks, kissing the tip of Sanghyuk's finger before Sanghyuk can pull it away.

Sanghyuk clambers off Taekwoon, picking up his bag, sliding his daggers into makeshift sheathes on the side of the bag. It occurs to him that he still doesn't have his bracelet on, and he looks around, confused. He almost sends out a pulse of energy to locate it, before he realises that he can't. He settles with having to ducking in and out between his bathroom and sleep area, until he finds it on the edge of his desk.

"What are you doing here," he murmurs.

"It looked uncomfortable to sleep with...the other night," Taekwoon says, and Sanghyuk nods, sliding it back on. It's uncharacteristic of it to be so silent, and it almost bugs him. He gets socks, pulling out his pair of sneakers. Sanghyuk freezes when he closes the door behind them. The darkness is silent, intangible with only his human senses. His heartbeat picks up just barely, and his eyes can barely settle on a spot in front of him.

"Taekwoon," he whispers. "Do you mind if..." Taekwoon looks at him, eyes questioning. "If I let magic flow back into my blood," he tugs on his bag strap. "It doesn't bother you right?"

Taekwoon shakes his head. The relief fills him as fast as the magic floods his blood. Everything becomes clearer, the night not so quiet as his tattoos flare, and his bracelet squeaks at him excitedly.

"My tattoo didn't react to you the first time," Sanghyuk mentions, as he steps out into the night more comfortably.

"I was too far," Taekwoon explains, "I always made sure I was sufficiently far away. I didn't want to scare you."

The bracelet protests when Taekwoon's hand brushes against Sanghyuk's wrist, and Sanghyuk lifts his wrist. "Right," Sanghyuk says, as they make their way down the road. "Say hi to this annoying piece of metal." It squeaks indignantly at him, and Taekwoon taps it, and it squeaks louder. "Learn to like him please." It grumbles at Sanghyuk, but it does something, and suddenly Sanghyuk's tattoos quieten down. "Oh, thanks. Didn't know you can do that." It pulses at him proudly, and Sanghyuk snorts at it.

There's a small huff of laughter, and Sanghyuk looks back up to see Taekwoon hiding a smile behind his fist.

"What?" Sanghyuk says.

Taekwoon says nothing, looking away. Sanghyuk harrumphs, poking Taekwoon in the side. Taekwoon jolts in surprise, looking at him quizzically. Sanghyuk wrinkles his nose at him as they turn the corner to a convenience store.

"You might want to," Sanghyuk gestures to the far end of the road. "Wait there."

Taekwoon lingers, but Sanghyuk flaps his hand at him, eyes widening threateningly, and then he disappears from sight. The windchime above the door tinkles as Sanghyuk enters the store. "Hyung?"

"Hi hi," Junmyeon calls out. "Here, behind the counter."

Sanghyuk peeks over the counter, and Junmyeon's there, sorting out reciepts into a box.

"What's up?" Junmyeon says, dumping the rest of the tickets into a pile by the box before standing.

"Food," Sanghyuk admits, drifting to the instant noodles. "Where's Sehun?"

"Out hunting," Junmyeon says dismissively. "HQ called, said they were a man down tonight."

Sanghyuk winces. "My fault. I'm having an off day."

"Nah," Junmyeon sets the kettle on. "Ever since we 'retired'," Junmyeon rolls his eyes. "Sehun's been itching, does freelance now and then for them."

"And you?" Sanghyuk smiles, sitting on the stool in front of the counter.

"I'm done," Junmyeon smiles, and Sanghyuk holds the cup noodles out for Junmyeon to pour the boiled water in. "Our, or rather, my previous occupation plays a dangerous game with luck, and," he shrugs. "I rather settle down with Sehun."

Sanghyuk raises an eyebrow. "But Sehun is still hunting."

Junmyeon sighs, leaning on the counter. "I refuse to tie him down," Junmyeon purses his lips. "Liking someone is always going to be an imbalance, one of us is going to love the other more than the other loves us."

Sanghyuk chews on his noodles, reaching out with his free hand to pat Junmyeon's arm. Junmyeon shrugs, hands in the air.

"Oh well," Junmyeon grins brightly. "I do kill one or two every other month."

Sanghyuk chuckles. "The habit hard to break, huh?"

"I know HQ doesn't send hunters to patrol here because you live here, as well as us," Junmyeon shakes his head. "But even then half the time we're gone taking care of other areas, so what happens then? It's a silly oversight."

"True," Sanghyuk says.

"New bracelet?"

Sanghyuk looks at his wrist. "Oh. Got it a while ago."

"Cute little thing," Junmyeon says, concentrated on it. "It's humming. Happy."

Sanghyuk hadn't even realised, already used to the noises it would make. "It's a noisy thing, really. But nice to have."

"Say that more and it's going to get egoistic," Junmyeon laughs, peering into Sanghyuk's empty cup before taking it away. "You should get going. Get some sleep, it's already 4 a.m, pretty sure you have to report tomorrow morning."

"Still got the schedule in your head, huh?" Sanghyuk slides a dollar onto the counter.

"What to do," Junmyeon says. "See you another time."

Sanghyuk waves, stepping out. He doesn't get far, barely turning the corner before he suddenly spinning around, dagger up as his tattoo burns.

He's stumbling backwards the next second at the hiss that follows, dagger clattering to the ground. "I'm sorry!"

Taekwoon stands there, stunned himself. Sanghyuk watches as red slides out of the horizontal slash across his arm, a drop already staining the pavement. He sucks in a breath, eyes closing as he resists the urge to hit himself. "I'm sorry, it was reflex, I thought there was a vampire and I just," Sanghyuk exhales, losing his words.

"No," Taekwoon says, picking up the dagger by the grip. "I am a vampire."

Sanghyuk inhales as Taekwoon carefully replaces the dagger in his bag, the silver metal so close to his skin. "Sorry," he whispers. "If there was only a way to have my tattoos tell you apart."

Taekwoon shakes his head, catching Sanghyuk's eyes. "Breathe, Sanghyuk," he says, and Sanghyuk stares back, frozen. "Sanghyuk."

A long breath leaves Sanghyuk, deflating him and taking the tension away. "Taekwoon," he says, and Taekwoon's head tilts.

His gaze is soft, not the usual intensity with which he seems to use to study Sanghyuk with. Taekwoon's fingers slide against his palm, curling around the same hand that nearly sent a blade into his chest.

~

Kyungsoo had asked Hakyeon to come over, but Hakyeon didn't really bring his paperwork asking for it to be burnt.

He rips his report away from the table, barely managing to push the huge stack of papers further to the other end of the counter when a line of fire crawls its way towards him. His pen rolls off the far end of the table and it clatters to the floor noisily. "Kyungsoo, seriously?"

"I don't know what you expect," Kyungsoo says sharply, before hissing foreign words. The fire goes up in a burst of ash, and he sighs, looking at his student. "You need more practice. That was not a snake of fire it was just... moving fire."

The student mumbles something nervously as Kyungsoo looks at the clock. He waves her off, and she bows repeatedly before practically running out of the door. Hakyeon bends down, fingers trying to catch the pen.

"Poor thing," Yoongi yawns. He waves a hand at Hakyeon's pen and it flies past his head to land next to his papers. "She's terrified of you."

"What did Soo do to him?" Hakyeon asks, lifting the pen and nodding at Yoongi.

"It depends if you think setting her hands in ice to help her practice inducing fire is extreme."

Hakyeon scrunches up his face, corner of his lips turning down.

"You'd be surprised how well survival instinct forces you to learn," Kyungsoo says. "Does you good." he smiles as he sits himself opposite Hakyeon.

"Anyway," Yoongi says, leaving the bracelet he was threading alone. "We wanted to talk."

"What's up," Hakyeon says, frowning at the corner of his paper, curled and burnt black. He places the piece ontop of the rest that's already threatening to break the ring file.

"Sanghyuk," Yoongi says, and the pen stops in its tracks. Hakyeon looks up to see Yoongi exchanging a glance with Kyungsoo. "He's been... a little off."

"He had a ru-"

"I know," Yoongi holds up a hand. "But not that kind of off. He stopped his channels, he even took off his bracelet, it's weird because he has never done that before."

"We just wanted to tell you," Kyungsoo says, holding Hakyeon's gaze evenly. "Sanghyuk's twenty-four already, but I know you refuse to let go of being his guardian," Kyungsoo reaches out for Hakyeon's wrist. "And well, sometimes you know best, when it comes to him."

Hakyeon squeezes Kyungsoo's hand with his free hand, wry smile on his face. "Sanghyuk's a smart kid," he says, sending a prayer to the god he has long stopped believing in. "He knows what he can handle."

"Like the hive?" Yoongi says.

"He got out fine," Hakyeon says, pulling away. He fingers the last report sheet, a health report of the hunter. "I got out fine."

Kyungsoo turns to Yoongi, lips parting but Yoongi's already up, reaching for the bottle. The same slightly viscous liquid swirls around the glass as Hakyeon tilts the glass. "Do you think it's irreversible?"

"It's the best I can do," Kyungsoo says. "I've been experimenting but we won't know."

"True," Hakyeon says into the glass. "Until it happens right?"

"You have to stop," Yoongi says, pouring a little more into the glass when Hakyeon puts it down. "I understand HQ might have ordered you to go anyway but to go voluntarily?"

"I feel like this is all we discuss nowadays," Hakyeon says quietly, staring down into his glass. "What happened?"

"Your stubbornness," Kyungsoo snaps, the legs of his chair screeching across the old parquet. "Vampires, magic and stubbornness." He takes the almost empty bottle with him, stomping up the attic stairs.

"Promise me you'll slow down," Yoongi says, putting a hand on the multiple profile reports that Hakyeon has accumulated on the counter, just from tonight.

Hakyeon looks at Yoongi in the eye. "Yoongi..."

"You'll make Sanghyuk hate himself."

Hakyeon packs his bag, sliding in the reports to bring in to work the next day. "Okay," he says. "Okay," he repeats firmly, as he avoids Yoongi's eyes. "Good night."


End file.
